LOR information

[DPTHopeful921]

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just a quick question for anyone who has the answer(s): What types of things should we be asking the people who are writing our LOR to put into the LOR?? Should it be rather generic like "Will make a great PT one day..." or should it be specific towards some schools you are applying to i.e.: "would be a great fit at the USC DPT program" eventhough you might be applying to several schools through PTCAS? anyone have some examples from previous years that you could PM to me so i could provide them with an example perhaps? sorry if that was confusing but i think it makes sense. Thanks for whatever advice you might provide.

 

[markelmarcel]

If you are using PTCAS you can't put anything program specific because your entire application goes to all the schools you apply for... I honestly didn't ask for anything specific from my LORs... in fact, I don't even know what they said because that's the point.

Sometimes with professors you can tell them what some of your extracirricular activities are so they can weave it into the letter if they want.

 

[goyo1010]

Here, take a look at some of the school (in TX, as they do not participate in PTCAS) concerning LORs and the things that the schools ask:

http://www.twu.edu/downloads/physical-therapy/Recommendation.pdf
http://www8.utsouthwestern.edu/utsw/cda/dept28450/files/341975.html
http://shp.utmb.edu/programs/pt/application_information.asp
http://studentservices.uthscsa.edu/pdf/AHRefFm-Web.pdf

Not sure if that'll help... but, good luck.

 

[DPTHopeful921]

what do you mean you dont know what your LOR said? didnt you have to upload them? if not, how do they get uploaded to PTCAS? or do the people writing the LOR have to upload the LOR themselves?

 

[AZ123]

What happens is during the PTCAS application, you have to write in the email address of the person that is writing LOR for you and PTCAS will email them. Then the person who is writing your LOR will upload it to PTCAS.

 

[bhatiaa1]

This brings up a new point... on how frustrating it is for a student that will be applying to a handful of programs. Some of those programs are PTCAS participants and some are not. Which means, you will most likely have to ask your personal reference to write or fill out multiple LOR forms.

 

[dizzy88]

I never saw my LOR's, nor did I tell the people writing them what to put in it.

 

[goyo1010]

You NEVER see your LOR. The PT will send it via PTCAS themselves; if the school does not participate in PTCAS, the PT will fill out the form you provide (after signing and agreeing on the form that you will waive your right to see the LOR), seal it in an envelope and mail it themselves or seal it, sign over the seal then give it to you for you to send. You essentially have no idea what the PT wrote about. Which is why you have to do as well as you can with the shadowing and observations.

And for the whole sending multiple LORs, that's why you give the PT the LORs a month before you want them sent, so they have ample time to fill them out. That's if you have a lot. I only applied to two schools, so I gave them 2 weeks. One gave it back to me in a week, the other kept forgetting about it, so it took him a month to finish...